Pretty Little Secret Keeper
by LuvPurple99
Summary: What if Alison DiLaurentis never disappeared? What would the girls' lives be like if 'A' never happened? Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily still have their secrets, but are they really safe with Alison?
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Hey guys! This is my first FanFiction, so I don't know if I'm any good at it. I've had this idea for a while now. I'm new to the FanFiction world, so I don't know if anyone else has written this before. If someone has, I'm so sorry! I had no idea! Anyway, on with the story! Reviews are welcome!

**Summary:** What if Alison DiLaurentis never disappeared? What would the girls' lives be like if 'A' never happened? Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily still have their secrets, but are they really safe with Alison?

**DISCLAIMER:** I DO NOT OWN _PRETTY LITTLE LIARS_ OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THEY ARE PROPERTY OF SARA SHEPARD, ALLOY ENTERTAINMENT, AND HARPERTEEN. I'M NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OFF OF THIS, JUST DOING IT FOR PRACTICE AND FOR FUN, SO PLEASE DON'T SUE ME.

**Pretty Little Secret Keeper**

**Prologue**

Alison Lauren DiLaurentis stepped out of the barn. It was early morning, and none of the other girls were awake yet. Which was just how she wanted it.

Alison walked through the dew-soaked grass toward the woods. The early morning sunshine seemed to make her gorgeous blonde hair and her perfect skin glow. Everything around her seemed to be in awe, as everything, including the flowers and the trees, was perfectly still, watching her.

As Alison walked on to meet her older boyfriend, she heard a twig snap behind her. She smiled to herself, as if she knew this was going to happen. Without turning around, she called out, "Oh _Courtney_, you can come out now!" She heard a rustle in the brush, and then someone came out of the bushes. Someone who had a heart-shaped face; striking blue eyes; long, flowing, blonde hair; and perfect, flawless skin. Someone who was completely identical to her in every way. Alison's twin sister.

"Do NOT call me Courtney. I am Alison, and you know it!" Courtney - or was it Alison? – said.

"Yeah right. Wanna go see if Mom and Dad believe you? Be my guest," Alison #1 replied smugly.

"They wont't. I've already tried to convince them and they don't believe me."

"And whose fault is that?"

"YOURS. It was _your_ fault that I'm stuck in your pathetic little life! _You_ were the one who switched places with me before the charity drive! _You_ were the one who dropped my best friends for those complete losers! _You _were the one who always pretended to be me, going around the house claiming that _you_ were Ali! It was all because of _you_. You ruined my life!"

"So what? I HATED those mental hospitals. I had the opportunity to get rid of that life, so I took it."

"So you're admitting that you're Courtney?" the real Alison said suspiciously.

"Sure. But look around Ali. No one is around. No one will believe you," the real Courtney replied victoriously. Alison stared at her sister, her eyes narrowed. She took a step closer.

"You listen to me, _Courtney_," Alison spat the name out. "I _will_ get my life back sooner or later. And you better believe that this won't end well for you. You. Will be. Destroyed." With that, she turned on her heal and walked back toward her house, but not before she saw a nervous look pass over her sister's face. She smiled to herself.

_Let the games begin._

**A/N:** So what do you guys think? Should I continue or not? Leave a review and I'll try my best to reply to you! Thanks!

-LP99 


	2. Chapter 1: What Happened Last Night?

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter of _Pretty Little Secret Keeper_! In this chapter we get a little more detail about the characters and what's going on (think blackmail;)). I'd like to thank kaitlynchosenisme for reviewing and giving me some advice for my story (you guys should read her stories, they rock!).

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. They are property of the author Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I'm not doing this for money, only for practice and fun. So no suing please.

**Chapter 1: What Happened Last Night?**

Spencer Hastings awoke to the sound of the barn door slamming shut. She sat up and groggily looked around. Light seeped in from the partially closed shutters, and the television was still on in the corner of the room, the channel turned to the news.

Courtney (A/N: or as they knew her, Alison, but we'll call her by her real name so there's no confusion) walked into the living room of the renovated barn-turned-house, confident and poised. No one would be able to guess that the incident outside ever happened.

"Ali? (A/N: remember, they think she's Alison) Where were you?" Spencer asked, brushing a piece of her light blonde hair away from her face. Courtney seemed startled, but regained her composure quickly.

"Oh. I was trying to look for a place to take my new profile picture around this rathole you call a yard," Courtney replied. Spencer blinked at her insult.

"Well why didn't you wake us up? We could have all changed our profile pictures," Spencer replied, pushing her anger away.

"Because, Spence, a new profile picture isn't enough to bring your friend numbers from 4 to 5," Courtney smirked. Spencer glared at her. Typical Alison, always trying to beat her at everything. First it was for the only spot on the JV field hockey team, now this. Alison was just irritated because Spencer was the only one who ever stood up to her.

"Alison, not everything is a contest," Spencer said through her teeth.

"But I it were, you know I'd win," Courtney sneered. Spencer was just about to say some sort of retort, when they heard the rest of the girls start to get up.

"Spencer...? Ali? What's going on?" Aria Montgomery asked, confused.

"Nothing. Spencer was just telling me how fabulous I look this morning," Courtney said, giving Spencer a wicked smile. Spencer glared back at her.

Emily Fields yawned. "Oh I had the best dream! Beyoncé was in it!"

"Pfft. No surprise there, Em," Courtney mumbled, but loud enough for Emily to hear. Emily looked down as her face turned red. Hanna Marin crawled out of her sleeping bag.

"Mmm... Is it time for breakfast?" she asked excitedly. Courtney gave her a faux-sympathetic look.

"Hannakins, they only make pants so big," Courtney said. Hanna self-consciously covered up her rolly-polly belly with her chubby arms.

"Ali, you don't have to be so mean," Aria said.

"Aria, hon, I'm not being mean. I just have your best interests at heart," Courtney said innocently.

"But seriously, Hanna's right. I'm getting hungry too," Spencer said. The rest of the girls agreed. Courtney rolled her blue eyes.

"Fine. We'll eat," she said reluctantly. Spencer led them out of the barn, across the award-winning, picture-perfect lawn an to the main house. As they entered the front door, the smell of chocolate chip pancakes wafted in from the kitchen.

"Mmm... Chocolate..." Hanna whispered dreamily. The girls drifted into the kitchen, where Mrs. Hastings was flipping pancakes and cooking bacon. They sat around the table, Courtney at the head, and Spencer and Emily on either side of her. Mrs. Hastings passed around plates.

"So how did you girls sleep?" she asked cheerily.

"Fine," Spencer replied.

"Ugh. I was woken up early by those contraction workers working on the gazebo in my backyard. I can't wait till that thing is finished. They're always eyeing me when I walk around my house," Courtney complained. Mrs. Hastings gave her a sympathetic look, then turned to Spencer.

"Hey, Spence, I need you to clean your stuff up quickly this morning. Melissa and Ian are redecorating today," she said.

"Again? But Melissa just redecorated last month!" Spencer replied.

"Spencer, it's your sister's house, she can do what she wants with it," Mrs. Hastings scolded. Spencer sighed and rolled her eyes, but quietly went back to eating her pancakes.

She thought about the night before their end-of-seventh-grade sleepover. They had all gathered on the Rosewood Community Playground, discussing their plans for their summer bash. Alison had been acting weird, like she didn't remember any of their secrets. She even forgot about The Jenna Thing, of all things! How could she forget about the night they accidentally blinded Jenna Cavanaugh? They had promised to keep it a secret for the rest of their lives. And then suddenly Ali took off and left. They didn't see her again until the next day, when she seemed to have forgotten their whole conversation the night before.

_Something weird is up_, Spencer thought. _And I will find out what_.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Later that day, Courtney was gathering up her designer sleeping bag and her brand new makeup case when she heard someone at the barn door. She glanced over just as a sealed envelope was slipped underneath the crack in the door.

_Probably another secret admirer_, she thought to herself as she made her way toward the note. She sighed contentedly as she ripped the envelope open. But her smile faded when she read the first sentence.

_I know what you did last night. And soon, everyone else will too unless you do as I say._

No signature, no contact information. She couldn't even identify the handwriting. Courtney looked around, feeling as if someone was watching her, but no one was around. She ripped the note up and threw it away, trying to laugh it off as a fake. But she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she felt as she walked herself home.

Someone knew what happened last night. Someone who would tell. She couldn't have that happen. It would ruin her life.

**A/N:** So there you go! The first chapter! Who do you think sent the note? What do you think happened that Courtney is so worried about? Leave me a review to let me know what you think!

-LP99


	3. Chapter 2: Secrets Secrets Everywhere

**A/N:** So here's the next chapter! In this chapter, we get a little more detail about Rosewood, PA, and the secrets each of the girls have. Thanks to kaitlynchosenisme and Luv HOA 123 for reviewing and advice :) Hope you guys like this chapter!

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. They are property of the author Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I'm not doing this for money, only for practice and fun. So no suing please.

**Chapter 2: Secrets Secrets Everywhere**

To outsiders, Rosewood, Pennsylvania, is just a typical, snobby, rich-kid town, with Victorian houses hundreds of years old, large farmhouse estates, award-winning lawns, top-notch schools, and a mall with only expensive, designer stores lining the hallways. The gorgeous, gated community looks like nothing horrible could ever happen to the residents.

But Rosewood is far from perfect. Competition amongst top families gets more and more vicious every day. Scandalous affairs darken family history. The top student won a prestigious award because she cheated. Girls trying to maintain a perfect body develop eating disorders. Someone just broke up with her boyfriend because she fell in love with the girl down the street. And in Rosewood, _everyone_ has a secret.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Aria Montgomery lounged around on her bed, her blue-black hair pulled up in a ponytail. She flipped through a craft store magazine, picking out yarn colors to feed her knitting obsession. So far she had made a scarf for herself, a pair of socks for her mother, Ella, and various other pieces for her friends. As she was dog-earring a page to remember what she picked out, she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she called. The door opened, and in walked her father, Byron Montgomery.

Byron was a man in his late 40s. His hair was a very dark brown, almost black, but not quite as black as Aria's. He was slender and muscular, and very smart. He held a job as a professor at Hollis College, in Old Hollis near the town of Rosewood.

"Hi, Aria. Ella and I were wondering if you and Mike want to go out for ice cream after dinner," Byron said, stepping slowly into the room.

"I don't care, Byron," Aria replied. Her parents, being the weird, free-spirited people that they were, wanted Aria and her younger brother Mike to call them by their first names instead of the normal "Mom and Dad." The family was very artsy and loosely run, which meant that Aria and Mike could do practically anything they wanted, within reason. Their parents even let them try wine sometimes, even though Aria was only in seventh grade and Mike was only in sixth. Ella worked at an art studio, working on pieces to sell and sometimes landing a small showcase at a nearby gallery. Together, Ella and Byron made a perfect couple. Or so Aria thought.

"Do you mind going to Ice Cream Village?" Byron asked.

"I really don't care where we go. Just as long as you-know-who isn't going to be there," Aria added.

"Aria, you know I apologized for that," Byron said defensively.

"Apologizing doesn't make me forget that you did it. Was Ella not enough? You had to make-out with _her_? Byron, she's half your age!" Aria's voice was rising.

"Could you keep it down? Your mother is right across the hall. Unless…"

"No, I didn't tell her. I'm still keeping your secret."

"What about-"

"Yes, Alison is too. Don't worry." Aria sighed. It was bad enough her father had cheated on her mother without Alison knowing about it too. She had been with Aria the day it happened and kept asking her questions about it for days afterwards.

"Does your mom know? Did he tell her? What's the skank's name? Are you going to tell her?" Alison (who was actually Courtney) wouldn't let her live it down. And what's worse, she told Aria she should tell her mother about it. But Aria refused. She couldn't do that to Ella, let alone her family. It would tear them apart. Alison was her best friend and all, but sometimes she could really get under Aria's skin.

"Okay," Byron said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well dinner is almost ready, okay? Be down in five minutes."

"'Kay," Aria replied. Byron shut the door behind him. As soon as it was closed, Aria dove for her cell phone.

_You're still keeping the secret, right? _she texted Alison. She hit SEND and waited a few moments. A reply came back almost immediately.

_YES. For now…_

_XOXO_

_A_

Aria gulped. _For now?_ What the heck did that mean? She didn't know what Alison was planning, but she was almost 100% sure she wouldn't like it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Emily Fields slowly pulled herself out of the Rosewood Community Pool. She pulled off the blue swim cap, letting her strawberry-blonde hair cascade down her shoulders. She had just finished swimming 10 laps, and had beaten her best time. Emily had been coming to the pool almost every day for 4 weeks now, since it opened for the summer. She was determined to get the only JV spot left on the Rosewood Day Swim Team for eighth grade, even though it had never been done before. So until it happened, she would practice, practice, practice.

Rosewood Day was the town's high school, complete with a coffee bar called Steam for free periods and a state-of-the-art, Olympic-sized pool. Emily had been dreaming about swimming in that pool ever since the second grade. She wanted to be the captain of the Sharks, the Rosewood Day mascot. She was almost sure she could do it too. The only thing keeping her back was… her.

Emily had had a crush on Alison for months now. Only Ali didn't have a crush back. Emily had kissed her in her tree house near the end of seventh grade, and ever since then, Ali wouldn't let her live it down. She would make snide comments every now and then, like the one she had made that morning about Emily having a dream about Beyoncé. Though Ali could be vicious sometimes, Emily just couldn't bring herself to hate her.

But Emily did write Alison a note, pouring out her feelings and letting her know how her comments hurt her. She had put it in Ali's mailbox before she went to the sleepover last night. Her phone buzzed in her swimming bag. She took it out and stared at the screen. It was from Alison.

_Hey Em. Got your note. Need to talk to you. Meet me at King James Mall at 4._

_XOXO_

_A_

Emily's stomach twisted. This could either be really good, or really bad. Emily would just have to wait and see. She quickly gathered up her things and headed home to get ready for the meeting with Alison.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Spencer Hastings stared at her reflection in her mirror. Her light blonde hair was perfectly curled around her face, and her lips were perfectly glossed. She turned around to inspect the rest of her outfit. She was wearing a new, sea-blue tank top with beads across the top and white cotton mini skirt. She smiled.

_Perfect_, she thought to herself. She glanced at the clock on the wall. 3:15. Her sister and her boyfriend, Ian Thomas, would be back any minute.

Though her sister didn't know, Spencer had a crush on Ian. In fact, they had kissed once. Though each swore to the other not to tell anyone, Spencer has gushed the details to Alison. Alison had been the complete opposite of excited. In fact, she seemed… angry.

"You need to tell your sister," Alison had said.

"Why? It was one little kiss. What Melissa doesn't know won't hurt her," Spencer had shot back.

"Spence, they're in _high school_. He's way too old for you. You and Melissa are just going to get hurt."

"Since when do you care?"

"Since now. You need to let your silly little crush go and forget about him."

Spencer seethed at the flashback. Leave it to Ali to ruin a perfectly good memory. For good measure, Spencer took out her cell phone and started texting.

_Ian is coming over. So excited! _she texted Alison. Spencer didn't wait for a reply. She ran downstairs to wait for Melissa and Ian.

_A few hours later…_

Spencer happily climbed the stairs to her room. The afternoon had been absolutely _perfect_. Ian, in all his blonde haired glory, had paid more attention to her than he had to Melissa, which earned Spencer dirty looks from her sister. But she didn't care. To Spencer, the afternoon had been magical.

It was then that she remembered her text to Alison. Spencer picked up her phone and looked at the screen. She had 5 new text messages, all from Alison.

_Spencer, you better not try anything. _(3:17)

_Don't kiss him again! _(3:20)

_You'll ruin your sister's life. _(3:25)

_She'll hate you forever. _(3:31)

_You better tell her what you did soon, or I will. That's a promise._

_XOXO_

_A_

The last text had come at 3:43, ten minutes before Ian had left. Spencer tried to laugh it off, but she knew Ali. When Ali made a promise, she kept it.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hanna Marin sat on the couch in her living room, an empty box of cheese crackers sitting in her lap. Her face was covered in cheesy crumbs, her hands stained a disgusting orange. She was watching TV, but she wasn't even sure what was on. She was just sitting around, obsessing over how fat her body looked in the shorts she was wearing. After eating whole box of cheese crackers, she felt even fatter than she looked. Then Hanna remembered something.

She slowly got off the couch and threw the box away. She made her way to her bathroom and grabbed a toothbrush. She was going to make herself throw up.

Hanna had been doing this ever since her father, Tom Marin, called her a pig in front of his new girlfriend Isabel and her daughter Kate. Hanna had been visiting them in Philadelphia and was having dinner. Tom called her a "little piggy," forcing Hanna to self-consciously run to the bathroom. She made herself throw up, using Kate's toothbrush. Hanna had told Alison about it, and Ali had referred to the situation as "The Kate Toothbrush." She told Hanna it was unhealthy, but Hanna didn't listen. Secretly, she was tired of Alison always hounding her about her weight, teasing her about how much she ate. So Hanna continued to do it. She vowed she would one day be as fabulous as Alison in every way. She felt she needed to do this to keep Ali as a friend, because she wasn't quite sure why Ali had wanted to be her friend in the first place.

Hanna and the other girls had been at the Rosewood Charity Drive when Alison ditched Naomi Zeigler and Riley Wolfe, the two most popular girls in school (behind Alison). Ali had walked up and just started talking to them. The next thing they knew, they were at a sleepover with her. From then on they had been best friends. But being Alison's friend had sacrifices. To be her friend, you had to endure her teasing and her vicious nature. But it was worth it, for Hanna at least.

When Hanna finished, she rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth. When she returned to the couch, she found a new text on her cell phone. She didn't recognize the number, but read it anyway.

_Hanna: _

_I heard about your problem and would like to help you. Come to the Rosewood Day parking lot at 9:30 tonight. I'll leave something there to help you. Just think of me as your secret friend._

The text freaked Hanna out a bit. No one but Ali knew about what she did. But this person wanted to help her, and she needed all the help she could get. So Hanna replied.

_I'll be there. _

A text came back almost immediately.

_Great! Look for a pink envelope with glitter glue on the front. Hope I can help you :)_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Courtney sighed as she lounged on the front porch. Sunbathing was one of her favorite summer activities. She looked at her watch. It was 3:45. The mail would be here. She reluctantly got up and walked to her family's mailbox. Inside was the usual: bills, college rejection letters for her brother, Jason, and magazines. But on the bottom of the stack was a pink envelope with glitter glue on the front. Attached to it was a typed note.

_If you don't want anyone to know about what you did, here's your first task:_

_Deliver this to the Rosewood Day parking lot BEFORE 9:30. _

_I'll be watching._

Courtney looked around. Though she didn't think anyone could know what she did, she wasn't going to take any chances. She slipped the envelope into her vintage tote bag and tried her best to relax again.

Whoever was blackmailing her was playing games. And Courtney DiLaurentis did not like to play games, unless she was the one making the rules.

**A/N: **So who sent the text to Hanna? And who is blackmailing Courtney? Find out in the next chapter. HINT: The real Alison makes an appearance in the next chapter :) R/R!

-LP99


	4. Chapter 3: Flashback's Worth 1,000 Words

**A/N: **Hey guys! Here's another chapter of _Pretty Little Secret Keeper_. In this chapter, we get a flashback with some history of Alison and Courtney plus a little more mystery. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or read my story so far!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. They belong to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Chapter 3: A Flashback Is Worth A Thousand Words**

Courtney sauntered back into the house after her afternoon tanning. It was 4:45, and she had been outside for over an hour. After that creepy note in the mailbox, she needed a nice, relaxing afternoon.

"Alison? Is that you?" Jessica DiLaurentis called. Courtney smiled. Even her parents believed she was Alison.

"Yes, Mom! It's me!"she called back. Her mother appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Jessica DiLaurentis was the textbook trophy housewife. She had perfectly clipped pale blonde hair, pulled neatly back from her face and twisted into a low bun just above the nape of her neck. She always wore designer clothes, most of which consisted of pencil skirts, ruffled blouses, and form-fitting cocktail dresses. For all Courtney knew, her mother didn't even own a pair of blue jeans or a t-shirt or a pair of sneakers. Mrs. DiLaurentis always complemented her outfits with diamond jewelry and a pair of three-inch heels, the best money could buy.

Mrs. DiLaurentis quickly looked her daughter up and down, and then smiled approval. Even when Courtney was just outside tanning, or even working out, she always wanted her to look perfect and fashionable.

"I'm going to run to the organic market across town. I need you to stay home for an hour or so and keep an eye on your sister. Make sure she doesn't leave this house," Mrs. DiLaurentis told her daughter firmly. Courtney sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Do I _have_ to?" she whined. Mrs. DiLaurentis gave her a stern look.

"_Fine_," Courtney agreed.

"You two can find something to do, can't you?" Mrs. DiLaurentis said as she hurried around and gathered her purse and her designer sunglasses.

"Aside from looking alike, we have nothing in common."

"You used to."

Courtney cringed at the comment. Mrs. DiLaurentis kissed her daughter on the forehead and then rushed out of the house. Courtney sighed and began to climb the stairs. It was true: she and Alison used to get along great when they were little. They'd even had their own secret language. But everything changed after that incident. A scene floated into her mind involuntarily.

_**Begin Flashback**_

_She and Alison were about five years old. They were playing with their look alike dolls inside their makeshift fort. Really, it was just a bunch of blankets and pillows hanging along dining room chairs. They had flashlights and lanterns that lit up the dim inside. They were laughing as they brushed their dolls' beautiful blonde hair. _

_They loved being twins. They always tried to fool their parents and trade places. They could fool their parents, but they could never seem to fool Jason, their older brother. Jason was always so… angry. Whenever they asked him to play with them, he shook them off and went to do God-knows-what. And when they were just being silly trading places, he'd ruin their fun by pointing out the real Alison or the real Courtney. Honestly, he didn't even feel like a big brother. He was distant, not only from them, but from the rest of their family as well. _

_Alison and Courtney were talking and sharing secrets. They loved to share secrets. They felt it kept them close as sisters. They never realized that secrets would be the thing that drove them apart…_

_**End Flashback**_

Courtney shook her head. She _hated _those memories of her and Alison when they were younger. As she rounded the corner to her - or rather Alison's – room, she stopped at her old room, the room where Alison stayed because everyone thought she was Courtney. She entered the room without knocking, causing a startled Alison to quickly hide the journal she was writing in. Alison glared at her sister.

"What are _you_ doing in here?" Alison sneered. Courtney sauntered in and plopped down on the bed.

"Mom wants me to watch you and make sure you don't leave the house," Courtney replied.

"I don't need a babysitter. I'm thirteen for God's sake."

"Maybe _Alison_ doesn't. But _Courtney_ does." If looks could kill, Courtney would be dead.

"Courtney, I'm sick of this game. You're the one who's winning, and I'm the one who's losing," Alison said.

"Ali, we've been over this before. You snooze, you lose. You had your chance, and you blew it. Now it's my turn," Courtney replied, not a trace of sympathy in her voice. She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Alison was seething. She threw her journal at the door and let out a frustrated scream. Loose papers and pictures flew everywhere, as she had had the journal since she was little. As she was picking up the loose pages, an old entry caught her eye.

_Dear Diary,_

_Today Courtney and I played another one of our treasure hunt games. We left little notes for each other, giving clues to the ultimate prize. For once I actually won, because I found all her clues and put the pieces together the fastest. You should have seen Courtney. She wasn't happy at all…_

Alison stared at the entry. A smile was slowly creeping across her face. This could be her chance to get her life back. She just needed to dig for some dirt. Alison tucked the entry away in her jewelry box and locked it.

_Sorry, Courtney. But now it's time to play by my rules_.

**A/N: **Okay so I know this chapter was short, but I felt I needed to get some more Alison/Courtney history in there. So the mystery is heating up! What do you think was the "incident" that pushed Alison and Courtney apart? How far will Alison go to get dark details on Courtney's life? Leave me a review and tell me what you think! Thanks!

-LP99


	5. Chapter 4: Sticks and Stones

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! This time, we return to the girls and see what's going on with Emily and Hanna and the texts that they got from Ali and the mystery person. We also get a new OC. Hope you enjoy it!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. They belong to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **The OC that will be introduced in this chapter, Lynn Hartland, is mine. If you want to use her, please ask me first.

**Chapter 4: Sticks and Stones**

Emily was getting irritated. She had been at the mall for over an hour and Ali hadn't shown up yet. She kept checking her phone every three minutes. Where was she? Had something happened to her? Emily didn't know what she would do if something had happened to Alison. She was just about to call Ali's house when her phone buzzed. The text was from Alison.

_Thank God!_ Emily thought to herself. She opened the text and read the message.

_Hey Em! Couldn't leave house. Forced to clean room by Mom :p Left a quick note in plastic plant by Rive Goche. Text me later!_

_XOXO_

_A_

Emily slipped her phone back into its blue leather case and made her way to the upscale grill on the other side of the mall. When she got to Rive Goche, she checked the plastic plant on the right side of the restaurant. A note in a pink envelope was tied to one of the branches. Emily carefully untied the string and opened the letter. It was printed on the classic _Alison D._ stationary. On it was a simple message.

_Emily: Do you really love me? Check one. _

_O Yes O No O Maybe_

_Leave answer here tomorrow by 3:15._

_XOXO_

_A_

Emily quickly got a pen out of her purse and checked 'yes.' She stuffed the note back in the envelope and tied it back onto the branch. She looked around to make sure no one saw, and then left the mall, feeling a sense of hope she hadn't felt in a long time.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was 9:25, and Hanna had finally made it to the Rosewood Day parking lot. She looked around. The parking lot was empty, and the only light was the sliver of moon showing through the clouds. Everything was made all the more creepy by the low-rolling fog spread across the pavement. Hanna shivered despite the warm air. It felt like she was in a scene from the horror movie, and she was the victim that everyone yelled at "Don't go into the closet!"

She heard a thump behind her. Hanna whipped around, but saw no one. The only thing she did see was the sparkling object in the middle of one of the parking spaces. Hanna slowly made her way toward it and picked it up. It was the pink envelope mentioned in her text. She opened it up. Inside was a small piece of paper.

_Hanna: If you help me, I'll help you. I need you to find something for me. Bring it back here at the same time next week._

Hanna stared at the object written on the paper. Was this some kind of a joke? This was almost impossible for her to find, let alone steal.

They wanted Alison's diary.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

Courtney stared at her phone. Another text had just come in.

_Nice job on the first task. Next, I'll need you to do something just a little different…_

Courtney had done some pretty nasty things in her lifetime, but she wasn't quite sure about this one. Whoever was sending these texts wanted her to embarrass her old roommate at one of the mental hospitals she had stayed at, Lynn Hartland.

Lynn had been Courtney's best friend since she could remember. She had gorgeous auburn hair that was almost always curled and deep brown eyes. One of the things that Courtney liked most about her was that they had the same taste in clothing and music. She was the only person Courtney wouldn't even think of hurting her, teasing her, or blackmailing her. Lynn brought out the best in Courtney, and now she had to destroy her reputation? Courtney just couldn't do it. She sent a text back to the unknown number.

_I'll do anything but that. Please!_

The reply came back almost immediately.

_Sorry, darling. It's either this, or your secret is out. Better find a way to do it, because I want it done before next Saturday, or else. _

Courtney gulped. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to do this, but it had to be done. She silently prayed Lynn would forgive her someday. Courtney went to her laptop and got to work. Hopefully, not many people would read this post on her blog. This blog was the one place she could keep her identity because it was linked to the metal hospital homepage. She took a deep breath and began to type.

_Hey all! It's Courtney here! So I just couldn't keep this juicy little secret to myself anymore. You all know Lynn Hartland? Well, you may not know why she's in the mental hospital. She had a crazy obsession of sniffing weird liquids. Yeah. That's right. She'd sniff stuff like gasoline and oil and cleaning supplies. She did it to get high. Isn't that just the weirdest thing you've ever heard? Well, that's all for now! _

_Luv,_

_Courtney_

Courtney hit POST and quickly closed her laptop. She felt like she was going to throw up.

_I can't believe I just did that_, she thought to herself.

"Alison! Courtney! Go to sleep already!" Mrs. DiLaurentis called. Courtney glanced at her clock. It was 2:34 AM. Maybe if she fell asleep, all this would go away. Maybe it was just some crazy dream.

But in the morning, when Courtney checked her profile on the internet, Lynn wasn't among her list of friends.

**A/N:** So what do you guys think so far? What's with all the mystery letters? It may not be 'A', but someone is messing with not only Hanna, but Courtney as well! What did you think of the addition of my OC? Leave me a review and let me know! Thanks!

-LP99


	6. Chapter 5: Can You Keep A Secret?

**A/N: **Hey guys! The story continues with chapter 5. Courtney tries to deal with her little issue with Lynn, plus dealing with a few things with Alison and the other girls. Wonder how that will work out? Anyway, I am now going to start posting a Bible verse at the beginning of each chapter that goes with the theme of that chapter in response to a challenge given by kaitlynchosenisme in the first chapter of her latest story "Faith-New Circumstances." (You guys should check out her "Chosen Guardians" series :) ) Anyway, on with the story!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 5: Can You Keep A Secret?**

"_**A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret." –Proverbs 11:13**_

Courtney had been trying to text Lynn for over an hour now. So far, she had only gotten one response, and it was only five words long.

_You are dead to me._

Courtney had tried to explain without giving too many details, but that was easier said than done. She told Lynn she was being blackmailed, but Lynn was obviously unsympathetic in her only response.

"Hey Court. Why do depressed?"

Courtney whipped around only to see Alison standing in her doorway. Courtney flashed her a dirty look.

"It's none of your business, Ali," Courtney sneered. Alison stepped into the room and gave Courtney an innocent smile.

"But, Courtney! We're sisters!" Alison said, faking shock. Courtney slammed her phone down.

"Our relationship as sisters ended 4 years ago, _Alison_," Courtney spat.

"_God_, Courtney! Will you never let it go? It wasn't my fault!" Alison said. Courtney stood up and walked toward Alison until she was just inches from her face.

"It was _so_ your fault. Because of you, Mom and Dad sent me off to those mental hospitals. That's when I decided you weren't good enough to be the 'sane' one. _I_ make a better Alison they you ever did," Courtney shot back. That comment seemed to be the breaking point for Alison. Her tone got dangerously low as she stepped even closer to Courtney, pointing an accusatory finger in her face.

"_You just dug your own grave_," Alison said in a tone that would scare even the worst of monsters. She turned on her heel, flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, and slammed the door behind her, leaving a very nervous Courtney alone in a room that would be Alison's.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Aria stared at her reflection in her mirror. Her reflection stared back at her in an accusatory matter.

_Aria Montgomery, you are a horrible person_, she thought to herself. The trip out to ice cream had been… less than perfect. She just couldn't get into the 'family' mood when she knew what her father had done. She knew her mother suspected something, she just knew it. And she had to tell her mother soon. And very soon.

Because she now had a deadline.

Alison had texted her during the ice cream outing and threatened that if she didn't tell her mother before Saturday, she would do it for her. And somehow Aria thought that conversation would not go well. It would probably go something like this:

_Alison: Oh hi, Mrs. Montgomery!_

_Ella: Hello, Alison. _

_Alison: So I heard that you're doing a new showcase and did you know that your husband cheated on you with one of his students and that Aria has been keeping it from you too?_

No, Aria couldn't let that happen. She had to find a way to break it to her mother gently without making Ella hate her forever.

And she had to figure it out soon, because Saturday was only two days away.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was 9:45 at night when Spencer went to unlock the front door of her house only to find that it had already been unlocked. Spencer stepped into the house, and what she found didn't surprise her. Her family was sitting at the kitchen table, playing Star Power. Without her.

Star Power was a game the Hastings family had invented. Whenever they sat down together, they each went around the table telling the others the best thing they had done that day. Sometimes it got pretty heated, as the family always wanted to out-boast each other and be the Star of the Day. Spencer's family was just naturally competitive.

"Hey! Spence! Come join us!" Peter Hastings, Spencer's father, called to her. Spencer sat down in an empty kitchen chair.

"Okay, Melissa. You're turn!" said Veronica Hastings, Spencer's mother. Melissa stood up proudly at the table.

"Well today, I got recruited for an internship at the most prestigious law firm in the state," Melissa proclaimed as if it happened every day.

"Oh Melissa! That's great! You are Star of the Day!" Veronica announced proudly. Spencer stared at her.

"But don't I get a turn?" Spencer asked, dumbstruck.

"Well, Spence, honey, I don't think you'll have anything to top an internship, do you?" Spencer looked down at her hands. Melissa smiled smugly. She had gotten Star of the Day.

Again.

And Spencer had been overlooked by _both_ of her parents.

Again.

Spencer stood up and walked up to her room. She couldn't take listening to her parents dote on Melissa again while she got crap. Not tonight. Once up in her room, she switched on her laptop and logged on to her email. A thrill ran through her when she saw the email she had been waiting for for three days. Spencer smiled to herself.

_Perfect._

**A/N: **So what do you think Aria is going to do about her mother? And what email is Spencer so excited about? Find out soon! Things are about to get real interesting… Please review! Thanks!

-LP99


	7. Chapter 6: Take My Sister, Please

**A/N: **Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was busy all day long haha. Anyway, I really want to that all of you for reading and reviewing and all the story favorites! It means a lot to me :) So this story is about to get really interesting… make sure you look for hints! I've been leaving subtle hints here and there in previous chapters. Also I'd like to mention something. I just saw the movie "Cyberbully". What Courtney posted online in chapter 4 could be categorized as cyberbullying and is against certain laws in 34 states. Not only is it illegal, it's just plain wrong and mean. So think before you type.

Now off my lecture. On to the story!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 6: Take My Sister, Please**

"_**Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters." -1 Corinthians 6:8**_

Courtney sat outside on a lounge chair, her blonde hair wrapped up in a towel, green mud on her face, cucumbers on her eyes. Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer all did the same. Courtney had asked them to come over for an at-home spa day.

"Ugh. I desperately needed a relaxing spa day," Courtney said. Spencer snorted.

"What could ever stress _you_, Ali?" Spencer replied.

"More than you will ever know," Courtney mumbled, too quiet for anyone to hear.

"When are we gonna have lunch?" Hanna whined. Courtney huffed.

"Han, it's a _spa day_. Peaches and plums only," Courtney replied. "And Lord knows eating some fruit will do you some good." Hanna felt her face go hot through the mud.

"So… did you here Brad Pitt cheated on his girlfriend?" Aria asked, trying to make conversation.

"He's not the only one. Am I right Aria?" Courtney said. Aria shifted uncomfortably in her lounge chair.

"Really? Who'd he cheat on her with?" Emily asked, genuinely interested.

"Angelina Jolie. Don't you just _love_ her, Em?" Courtney replied. Emily remained quiet.

"Well, I heard the skank he did it with kissed him first. And she's like, 5 years younger than him. Can you believe that, Spencer?" Courtney said, hoping to get a rise out of Spencer. She got the reaction she wanted.

Spencer sat up and removed the cucumbers from her eyes and used the towel to wipe the mud off her face. She turned and faced Courtney.

"Alison, I need to talk to you," Spencer said.

"In a little bit, Spence. I'm working on my tan," Courtney replied breezily.

"_Now_," Spencer said sharply.

"Fine, geez." Courtney got up and walked toward the side of the house with Spencer.

"What's your problem?" Spencer asked.

"What do you mean?" Courtney replied.

"I mean I'm sick of you always trying to humiliate us. I saw the reactions Aria, Hanna, and Emily had when you said something to them. And speaking of Hanna, why are you always so mean to her? Can't you just leave her alone?"

"Please, Spence. You imagined it all. And besides, I'm only looking out for Hanna. Helping her is a _nice_ thing to do."

"Helping her? You think you're actually _helping_ her by insulting her? If that's your idea of help, then maybe you should get some yourself."

"Spencer, friends don't yell at other friends."

"And friends don't insult everyone on a daily basis and blackmail them with their secrets."

"Geez. Harsh much?"

"Ali, I don't need a friend like you." Courtney laughed.

"Please, Spencer. I _made _you. Remember? If it weren't for me, you'd be the lonely braniac who lived next to Alison DiLaurentis." Spencer just stared at her.

"You know what, I'm done. Have a nice life, Ali," she said. Spencer stomped across the lawn and slammed the door to her house.

_What have I done?_ she thought.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hanna watched out of the corner of her eye as Spencer led Alison away.

_Now's my chance_, she thought to herself. She stood up and turned to Aria and Emily.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Be right back," Hanna said. She made her way into the house and looked around. No one was home. Mrs. DiLaurentis had gone out to run some errands, Mr. DiLaurentis was at work, and they hadn't seen Jason in days. They figured he'd run away again to get wasted at a friend's house. He did that a lot. He'd run away for a few days or a week, and then come back home for a while before running off again.

Hanna quickly climbed the stairs to Alison's room. She opened the door and stepped inside.

Alison's room was like your typical teenager room. It had vibrant colors on the walls, in this case hers was a bright pink, though you almost couldn't tell because almost every inch of the wall was covered in pictures and posters. A bulletin board hung up above her bed held photo booth pictures of the five girls at the mall, vacation pictures, drawings, and the occasional field hockey medal. Her bedspread was a lighter shade of pink with lots of fluffy pillows and blankets and stuffed animals. She had bins and jewelry boxes everywhere.

Hanna decided to look in a jewelry box. Nothing. Then she tried one of the bins. Still nothing. Hanna stood up, exasperated.

_If I were Alison, where would I hide my diary?_ Hanna thought. Then she realized something. Alison had told them once that if she were to write a book about everyone's secrets, it would be in the bookstore under the heading "bedtime stories." Hanna looked over to the bed. One of the pillows caught her eye. There was a small square that was bulkier than the other. She made her way over to the bed and stuck her hand in the pillowcase.

_Bingo_.

Hanna grabbed the diary, stuffed it into her tote bag, and went back out onto the porch, just in time to see Alison return without Spencer.

"Where did Spencer go?" Aria asked.

"Oh, she got super mad at me for some stupid reason," Courtney replied. "She went home early. But trust me, she'll be back." Hanna turned to look at her.

"Um, Ali? I have to go. I told my mom I'd be home early and help her with dinner," Hanna said. Courtney waved her off.

"Whatever," she replied. Hanna stuffed her feet into her flip flops and ran off in the direction of her house.

Hanna waited in room until it was 9:20. Then she took off toward the Rosewood Day parking lot.

_Ali, I hope you can forgive me one day. I'm only doing this to become as fabulous as you_, Hanna thought as she set the diary down in the spot she was told in the note. She quickly ran home before anyone could see her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Veronica, I'm sorry. If I could take it back I would. I never meant to hurt you like this," Peter Hastings said as Spencer entered the house that evening.

"That doesn't excuse what you did, Peter. I have to see that family every day. They live right next to us for God's sake!" Veronica Hastings cried. Spencer sidestepped the living room and climbed halfway up the stairwell to listen more.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know it would turn out like this!" Peter yelled.

"You didn't know? How could you possibly not have known? That's the price you have to pay for what you did with her. And now, thanks to you, the whole _family_ has to pay for _your _mistake!" Veronica screamed. Spencer ran up the stairs. She didn't know what was going on, but she couldn't listen anymore. She closed the door and flopped down on her bed. Then she heard a knock, and Melissa entered the room.

"Spence? You okay?" Melissa asked.

"Melissa, what is going on down there? Why is Mom so upset?" Spencer asked. Melissa gave her a confused look.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Oh, God, Spence. I wish you didn't have to find out like this-"

"Melissa, find out what? You're scaring me." There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Then Melissa took a deep breath and looked Spencer in the eye.

"Dad cheated on about 13 years ago," Melissa said. Spencer stared at her.

"He did it right around the time you were conceived, right after the DiLaurentis family moved in," Melissa continued. Spencer still gave her a blank look. She didn't understand. Melissa took another deep breath.

"Spencer, Alison is our sister."

**A/N: **Sorry! But I have to leave you with that :) What do you think about this news (for those of you who haven't read the books)? What's going to happen with Hanna once whoever sent that note to her gets the diary? Find out soon! Please Review! Thanks!

-LP99


	8. Chapter 7: Everything Is Not As It Seems

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Sorry about the late update. I didn't have internet over the weekend. Here's the next chapter of _Pretty Little Secret Keeper_. Things got real interesting last chapter, and now things take a turn for the worse. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 7: Everything Is Not Always As It Seems**

"_**Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow." -2 Corinthians 2:7**_

"_Spencer, Alison is our sister." _

Those words rang throughout Spencer's head like bells in a church. How could Alison be her sister? She hated Alison. She always has. But now that she knew Alison was her sister, maybe she really didn't hate Ali. After all, family loves each other unconditionally, right? But somehow, Spencer wondered if that would be different with Ali. Spencer always had to work to be Alison's friend. Would it be the same now that they're sisters?

_Ugh, too much thinking!_ Spencer thought. She had to make things right with Alison. And she had to do it now.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Spencer's hand shook as she knocked on the DiLaurentis's front door.

"Hello?" Mrs. DiLaurentis called when she opened the door.

"Hi, Mrs. DiLaurentis. Is Alison home?" Spencer asked, trying to hide her shaking voice.

"Yes, she's upstairs in her room," Mrs. DiLaurentis replied. She opened the door wider and Spencer stepped inside. As she made her way up to Alison's room, she prepared what she was going to say.

_I can't tell her that we're sisters… it might ruin her life_, Spencer thought. She poised her hand to knock on Alison's closed door. But Alison opened it right away.

"I knew you'd come crawling back," Courtney sneered. Spencer ignored the insult and stepped inside the bedroom.

"Listen, Ali, I need to talk to you," Spencer said.

"Whatever," Courtney replied as she flopped down on her bed.

"Um, I'm sorry about getting upset at you before," Spencer began. "I was just mad and I said some things I didn't mean in the heat of the moment and… I guess what I'm trying to say is can you please forgive me?" Courtney put her index finger to her chin as if she was thinking.

"Hmm… I _guess_ I could forgive you… if you do something for me," Courtney said with a sly smile. Spencer had a feeling this would happen, so she made sure to prepare for the worst.

"Okay. What do you want me to do?" she asked, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

"Keep the whole sister thing a secret."

Spencer gasped. Ali… _knew_? How long had she known? How did she find out?

"Who told you?" Spencer managed to say.

"I figured it out by myself," Courtney replied breezily. "But seriously, Spence. If you _ever _tell anyone, I will make sure you will never show your face in Rosewood again."

"Why are you so worried about people finding out?" Spencer asked.

"Because. I don't want anyone to know I'm related to _you_. That would just be… ew." Spencer had been able to control her anger. Until that moment.

"Fine, _Alison_," Spencer spat. "I'll keep the secret. But you should know secrets have a way of getting out, whether you want them too or not. Remember that." Spencer spun on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Courtney just shrugged off the threat. Spencer was all talk and no show.

Courtney sat up on her bed and stuck her hand in her pillowcase.

_This will make such a good addition to my life story_, Courtney thought. But she didn't feel her diary in her pillowcase. She check another pillow. Then another. No diary. Her heart started to beat faster. Where was it? She just wrote in it the other day. How could it have just disappeared out of thin air?

Courtney began tearing apart her perfectly decorated bedroom. It had to be in here somewhere.

"Oh my God… Oh my God. Where is it!" Courtney said as she searched every place in her room she could think of. Suddenly a thought crossed her mind. Her face flushed from anger.

"ARRRGGGG!" she yelled. She stomped down the hall toward Alison's room, her old room. She swung open the door without even knocking.

"What did you do with my diary?" Courtney demanded. Alison seemed surprised, but regained her composure quickly.

"Why, sister dear, whatever do you mean?" Alison replied breezily.

"I know you took it. Where is it? What did you do with it?" Courtney was screaming by now. Alison gave her a smooth smile.

"Now, now darling. Relax. Why would I want your diary? I don't need to read about your insane, pathetic little life. I've already had enough living it firsthand," Alison replied. Courtney stepped closer to her sister, getting so close, Alison had to lean back a little.

"You want to ruin my life. I _know_ you do. But you won't get away with it. Not until I ruin yours first," Courtney said, her words sharp and dangerous and dripping with venom. She sauntered out of the room, more confident than she felt.

Someone had her diary. That means someone had her life and the power to ruin her in their hands, all in one complete, convenient package.

**A/N:** So I know this is short, but the next one will be longer, I promise! There's only a few more chapters left in this story, so be prepared for some major twists and turns! Here's a preview into the next chapter:

"_Have any of you seen Jason?" asked Mrs. DiLaurentis, worry written on her face. _

"_No. Why?" Spencer replied. _

"_Because… you all know he runs away. But he usually checks in most of the time, and it's been over a week since we last saw him. He usually comes home after a few days…" _

Hope you liked the preview! Next chapter will be up soon.

-LP99


	9. Chapter 8: Family Crisis

**A/N: **Hey everyone! My last chapter was a setup for what's to come, so be prepared!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 8: Family Crisis**

"_**For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." –Luke 19:10**_

Courtney and the girls lounged around on the DiLaurentis's back porch, sipping iced tea. Courtney was flipping through a magazine, Spencer was reading a novel (of course), Emily was reading an article on Olympic swimming, Hanna was attempting to paint her nails (and ignore the cupcakes in the middle of the table), and Aria was writing something in a notebook. Courtney looked up from her magazine.

"Hey, Aria, whatcha writing?" she asked. Aria quickly closed her notebook.

"Uh, um, it was nothing. Just… some ideas for a birthday present for my mom," Aria stuttered. Courtney shrugged and went back to the "Hot or Not?" list in the magazine. Aria sighed deeply. In truth, she was writing ideas about her mom, but not ideas for birthday presents. She was trying to write down what she was going to say to her mom tonight about her dad. Because it was Friday. And tomorrow was Saturday. Which meant if she didn't get it done tonight, Alison would do it for her.

Aria had no idea how she was going to break it to Ella. The only good thing about tonight was that Byron was going to be out at a baseball game with Mike until late. But that didn't make telling her any easier. This is what she had worked out so far:

_Hey Ella? I need to talk to you. This so is not easy to say and I should have told you when it happened a few weeks ago but I didn't want you to get hurt. But you are my mother and you have a right to know. A few weeks ago, when you were out of town, Alison and I caught dad kissing another girl. _

_(Pause while Ella takes this in)_

_I'm so so sorry I didn't tell you before, but Byron made me promise not to. He said it didn't mean anything, but I still thought you should know. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me. _

Aria sighed again. No matter how she phrased it, it was not going to be easy.

The sliding glass door to the patio opened, and Mrs. DiLaurentis stepped out of the house and onto the brick lining the yard.

"Have any of you seen Jason?" asked Mrs. DiLaurentis, worry written on her face.

"No. Why?" Spencer replied.

"Because… you all know he runs away. But he usually checks in most of the time, and it's been over a week since we last saw him. He usually comes home after a few days and I'm starting to worry about him." Courtney snorted.

"Mom, don't worry about him. He's probably just out getting stoned with his lame friends," Courtney replied to her mother, her voice cold and unfeeling. Mrs. DiLaurentis stared at her daughter.

"Alison, that is no way to talk about your brother," Mrs. DiLaurentis scolded. "Now girls, I'm sorry, but I need you to go home. We have a family crisis we need to fix." Each of the girls looked at each other, and then back to Courtney with uncertainty.

"I'll text you guys later, I promise," Courtney said, rolling her eyes as she followed her mother into the house. The girls stood on the porch for a few long moments after the sliding door closed again. Then they each went their separate ways. Spencer headed next door, and Emily, Aria, and Hanna headed for their bikes. For Aria, leaving only meant one thing: time to go tell her mother. She pedaled home slowly, taking the long way. When she pulled her bike into the driveway, her father's car was gone. She put her bike into the garage and went into the house. She found Ella in the living room, sketching something.

"Ella?" Aria began, her voice shaking. "I need to talk to you."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The DiLaurentis family sat around the dining room table. Mrs. DiLaurentis had a phone and a notepad in front of her. She folded her hands on the table and looked squarely at Courtney and Alison.

"Okay girls, have either of you heard anything from or about your brother? Taken any phone calls from him or one of his friends while we weren't here?" Mrs. DiLaurentis asked.

"No, Mom," Courtney replied.

"Are you sure, Alison?"

"Yes." Mrs. DiLaurentis turned to the real Alison.

"Courtney, even though you're not supposed to use the phone, what about you?" Mrs. DiLaurentis asked in an accusatory tone.

"_No_," Alison replied sharply.

"Do not use that tone with me, young lady. We need to find your brother. I've already talked to the Rosewood police, and they haven't found anything, but they're looking. Are you sure you don't know where he is?"

"Mom, if we knew, we'd tell you," Courtney said. Mrs. DiLaurentis sighed. It was quiet for a few long minutes.

"He's never been away this long… I'm getting worried," Mrs. DiLaurentis said quietly.

"Mom, you've called the police, alerted the neighbors and his friends, there's nothing else you can do so just relax," Alison said. In truth, she was worried too. Even though Jason wasn't the ideal big brother, he was still family.

"You're right, Courtney. You girls can go," Mrs. DiLaurentis dismissed them. Courtney and Alison pushed back their kitchen chairs and headed up the stairs to their bedrooms, neither of them saying a word to the other. When Courtney reached her room, she shut the door and locked it, her heart pounding in her chest. Things were getting more complicated by the second, and she didn't like it one bit.

**A/N: **So what happened to Jason? And why is Courtney so worried about it? And how is Aria's mom going to take the news? Find out soon! Please review!

-LP99


	10. Chapter 9: Lost and Found

**A/N: **Hey guys! Here's the next chapter of _Pretty Little Secret Keeper_. No spoilers this time, but this is one chapter you will want to read carefully! Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 9: Lost and Found**

"_**For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found…" –Luke 15:24**_

Saturday was spent with all five girls hanging around the Rosewood Day playground. Each one was on edge, as if something big was about to happen in their lives. For Aria, that thing happened last night. She had told her mother about her father, and now the house was in chaos. Ella had spent all last night throwing Byron's things in the garage, and when he and Mike got home, Mike and Aria were sent upstairs. But just because they couldn't see what was going on, didn't mean they couldn't hear it. Ella yelled at Byron for over two hours. Doors were slammed and Aria was pretty sure kitchen chairs had been kicked over, along with things broken. Two vases were missing from the mantel this morning. She had a sneaking suspicion Ella had thrown them at Byron.

And last night, while she and Mike stuck together to watch old movies, she texted Alison:

_I did what you wanted. Now my mom knows and my family is falling apart. I hope you're happy. _

Ali had texted back:

_You'll thank me someday._

_XOXO_

_A_

Today, sitting at the playground, Aria couldn't even look at Alison. Which, luckily, didn't seem to matter. Alison mostly had her eyes on her phone, texting back and forth between family members about any news of Jason.

"Are there still no leads?" Emily asked.

"No," Courtney replied simply. She flipped her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder and laid her head on her hand. She seemed miserable. Although, who wouldn't if your brother was missing? Spencer decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"If you want us to help you look for him, we'd definitely do that," Spencer said. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"No. My family isn't doing search parties. We're letting the police handle it," Courtney replied sharply. She glanced at her cell phone and sighed. "I have to go. My mom wants me home." The girls waved goodbye to each other, and each went their separate ways.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Courtney got home, she found her mother and her sister in the living room, mindlessly watching the news. She threw her purse onto a kitchen chair and walked into the living room, leaning on the wall in the entryway.

"Hi, Mom," Courtney said.

"Hello, dear," Mrs. DiLaurentis replied, not taking her eyes off the screen. "There's a letter for you on the kitchen counter."

"Okay, thanks." Courtney made her way back into the kitchen. On the counter was a cream-colored envelope. _Alison_ was written in big swoopy cursive. She tore the front flap open and pulled out a single sheet of paper. Her face paled and her heart dropped to her stomach when she read the first sentence.

_Your secret isn't going to be safe much longer. How bad do you want me to keep it?_

That was it. That was the letter. No demands, just that simple question. Courtney whipped her head nervously around the kitchen, feeling like someone was watching her, but no one was around except her mother and sister in the next room. She quickly folded the note up, her hands shaking, and slipped it into her pocket.

"Alison?" her mother called from the living room. "Could you come here for a second?" Courtney went back into the next room. The news had been turned off, and Alison and her mother were staring at her as she sat in the designer chair the family had ordered from Paris.

"What do you need?" Courtney asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"I need you to ask your friends a huge favor. Your sister had a great idea. We are going to plan a search party to help look for Jason. The more people looking, the more chance there is we'll find him. I want you to ask Spencer, Emily, Hanna, and Aria to help," Mrs. DiLaurentis explained.

"Sure, I guess that would be fine. Spencer kinda had that idea earlier today," Courtney said. Mrs. DiLaurentis gave her a watery smile.

"Great. Let them know we are having a luncheon tomorrow at our house to plan out what we should do. Other neighbors will be here too. I've asked the Wolfes, the Zeiglers, the Ackards, the Vanderwaals, the Thomas', and the Cavanaughs to come as well. Please have them be here no later than 12:15. Obviously your sister will not be participating in this event, but she will be around later on to help the search," Mrs. DiLaurentis continued, not noticing Alison glare at Courntey.

"Um, okay. I'll text them right now," Courtney replied.

"Oh, and Alison? I need you to clear your schedule for this week. Tomorrow is the luncheon, Monday we start the search, Tuesday we have an interview with Channel 7 News, Wednesday we have a meeting with the police, Thursday is another community-wide search, and Friday we go national with the search with an interview on the National News Network," Mrs. DiLaurentis said. Courtney agreed before heading back to her room. Alison followed to go to her room. Mrs. DiLaurentis sat alone in the living room. She sighed.

"Jason, I hope you come home soon. We miss you," she whispered in a silent prayer. But no matter how many people they had helping and no matter how much they searched, he was never coming home.

Because Jason was dead.

**A/N: **Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!

-LP99


	11. Chapter 10: Ready, Set, Search!

**A/N: **Here's the next chapter! Thanks to all who are reading and who reviewed! This story is almost done and things are getting crazy. On with the story!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 10: Ready, Set, Search!**

"_**There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: … a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away." –Ecclesiastes 3:1and6**_

Courtney stood in the foyer of her house, sipping a glass of herbal iced tea. It was Sunday at 12:00. Her friends would be arriving at any minute to help the search party. As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and in walked Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily. Spencer wore designer jean shorts and an old t-shirt. Aria and Emily wore something similar. Hanna wore Bermuda jean shorts and a slightly-too-small t-shirt with her poop brown hair up in a messy ponytail. Courtney greeted them with a half-hearted wave.

"Hey, Ali. How you holding up?" Spencer asked.

"Eh, fine I guess. This all happened so fast. I mean my mom just figured out Jason was missing on Friday and now she is organizing a search party? God, I want Jason to come back too, but couldn't we have let the police handle it for a while?" Courtney complained.

"It's just part of being a mom I guess," Aria said slowly. "I mean, if your son was missing, wouldn't you do all you could to get him back?"

"Yeah, I guess," Courtney mumbled. No one said anything for a solid two minutes. Then Mrs. DiLaurentis called everyone into the living room.

"Okay everyone. First of all, I'd just like to thank all of you for coming to help search for my son. You may not all know him, but it means a lot to our family. Now the first thing I'd like to do is go over what we will be doing this week," Mrs. DiLaurentis explained. "We would first like to search the woods behind our house. Just in case the worst possible thing happened. After that, we are going to search to local campgrounds. From there we will cover the outskirts of the community, and then move on to the next town. On Friday, our family will be doing an interview on the National News Network to start a country-wide search. So first, let's get some lunch and then get started." Everyone made their way into the kitchen. On the table were plates stacked with little finger sandwiches, bowls of salads and mashed potatoes, and pitchers of iced tea and lemonade. On any other occasion, it might look like your average, every day brunch party. But today, no one ate much, especially Mrs. DiLaurentis, because everyone was on edge.

Finally, about half an hour later, the search began. The party headed into the woods, where the five girls split from the group. Courtney took the lead, tromping through fallen, dead leaves and broken branches. Spencer and the others followed, but they had a hard time keeping up. Courtney was going too fast. It seemed like she wasn't searching at all.

"Um, Alison? Maybe you wanna slow down just a little bit?" Aria asked tentatively, pushing aside half-busted tree limb.

"No. The faster we go, the faster we can get this over with," Courtney replied sharply. No one said anything after that, and the matter was dropped.

Two hours later, the search party headed back to the DiLaurentis house for refreshments before splitting up and going to the local campgrounds. Nothing turned up in the woods where they searched. (The woods were too big to be able to look through all of it.) Though this made Mrs. DiLaurentis feel slightly better, she was still worried beyond reason. Courtney and the girls were going to be allowed to stay home for this part, so they moved into the living room after everyone else left. They wouldn't be home until after dark.

"Ugh, I feel so dirty and gross," Courtney complained, piling her hair on top of her head in a messy bun.

"Me too," Spencer agreed. There was silence for a few moments, and then Aria spoke up.

"I can't believe we didn't find _anything_," she said.

"I know," Emily agreed. "If Jason did run away, he did a great job of covering his tracks."

"But why would he run away at all?" Hanna asked, pulling her chubby legs into her chest. The others thought for a moment.

"Because he's _Jason_. He's a mysterious and free-willed freak who thinks he can do whatever he wants," Courtney said. Everyone stared at her, but didn't say anything. From what they understood, she and Jason didn't get along very well. Courtney sighed.

"Why don't we each get cleaned up and then put in a movie? I'll make some popcorn," she offered. The girls nodded in silent agreement. They each took a turn taking a shower, and then changed into the spare clothes they had brought. By this time, it was nearly 5:30. Courtney ordered a pizza for dinner and they settled into the living room to have a movie marathon.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Around 10:30, the girls left to go home. The search party wasn't back yet, but that was fine. Courtney put on her hiking boots and grabbed an old hooded sweatshirt and a flashlight. She silently closed the back door behind her as she left the house. She waited until she was in the cover of the woods to turn the flashlight on. Earlier today, during the search, she had lost her woven bracelet with Alison's name on it. This was her only chance to get it back. She retraced her steps through the darkened woods, until she spotted something in the distance. Her bracelet.

Courtney made her way toward the splash of color in the woods. She bent down to pick it up. When she stood back up, the beam of her flashlight went a few feet in front of her. She followed the line of light with her eyes and screamed.

In front of her was Jason's dead body. And lying next to him on the ground was her diary. Her already-beating-too-fast heart beat even quicker when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hello, Courtney."

**A/N: **Next chapter coming soon. Please review! Thanks!

-LP99


	12. Chapter 11: I've Got A Secret

**A/N:** I know after those last two chapters you guys are really anxious to find out what's up. So here's the next chapter! Enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 11: I've Got A Secret**

"_**Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters." –James 1:16**_

"_Hello, Courtney."_

Courtney slowly turned around.

"S-Spencer? What are you doing here?" Courtney asked, her voice shaking. Spencer smiled. Her face looked devilish in the moonlight.

"Why, I'm just here to make sure you don't get hurt, all alone out here in the woods," Spencer said faux-innocently.

"B-but wait. You just called me Courtney. I'm Alison, remember? Or has all that studying finally fried your brain?" Courtney replied, trying to regain her composure and the advantage. Spencer snorted.

"Oh, _please_. I know you're Courtney. I know you and Alison, the _real_ Alison, are twins. I've known for a long time. Just as long as I've known we were sisters," Spencer said. Courtney's mind reeled. Spencer _knew_? How long had she known? But more importantly, why was she here?

"Spencer, what are you doing here, _really_ doing here?" Courtney repeated. Spencer laughed, a sound that sent a chill up Courtney's spine.

"What am I _doing_ here? Come on, I didn't think you were _that_ stupid. I honestly thought you'd figure it out by now." Spencer paused as she waited for her words to sink in. A flash of realization went across Courtney's perfect face.

"You're the one who's been blackmailing me," she stated. Spencer walked around Jason's dead body, not grossed out in the least.

"Well, _duh_. I've _hated_ how you've been treating me since sixth grade. _Everyone _has. But the other girls didn't have the guts to do anything about it," Spencer explained. "But you know me. No guts, no glory." Courtney shook her head. This couldn't be happening. How did Spencer know all this? Her eyes fell on her diary.

"_You're_ the one who stole my diary!" Courtney exclaimed. "That's how you've known all this." Spencer sighed.

"Um, _hello_? I just said I've known about it for a _long time_. And besides, _I'm_ not the one who stole it. And _I'm_ not the one who wanted it. You've got more bounties on your head than you think, _darling_," Spencer replied, exasperated. Spencer was getting closer to her. Courtney took a step back, wondering if anyone would hear her scream if something happened.

"Well, who else knows about my secret?" Courtney asked while subtly looking for a place to run away if needed. Spencer laughed again.

"You can come out now!" She called over her shoulder into the darkness. A figure stepped out into the light. They had long, platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes set into her heart-shaped face with flawless skin.

"_Alison_?" Courtney asked, surprised.

"I told you, I'd get my identity back one way or another. And Spencer was more than happy to help me," Alison said.

"B-but… We're sisters! We used to do this all the time!" Courtney replied, her confident composure slowly melting away.

"Yeah, but you have been taking my place for almost two years now, Courtney. And there hasn't been anyone around to ruin your fun this time. You made sure of that, didn't you?" Alison spat back. Courtney' heart started to pound harder. Could they really know?

"W-what are you talking about?" Courtney said quietly, her voice shaking. Alison and Spencer gave each other a knowing look.

"We know that you killed Jason."

**A/N:** I know this chapter is short, but the next one will be a little bit longer. Please Review! Thanks!

-LP99


	13. Chapter 12: The Truth Hurts

**A/N:** Things are heating up! Here's the next chapter of _Pretty Little Secret Keeper_!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 12: The Truth Hurts**

"_**For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." –John 1:17**_

_"We know you killed Jason."_

Courtney's heart stopped.

"Wh-what?" she stammered.

"We know. You killed. Jason," Alison repeated slowly, like she was talking to a child.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about."

Spencer rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh, come _on_, Courtney! There's no use in denying it! We _know_ you did it! We _saw_ you!" Courtney's mind flashed back to a few weeks ago. Come to think of it, she _did_ hear something in the bushes after the deed was done.

"B-but... Why were you following me?" Courtney tried to turn the conversation back on them. Spencer and Alison looked at each other.

"We've been planning this for a long time," Spencer said.

"Planning what?" Courtney asked, getting more and more freaked out by the second.

"You're about to find out," Alison said. Courtney took a step back. Spencer lunged at her, making her trip and fall. Alison pinned her to the ground. Courtney's eyesight clouded over. This reminded her of something... Something she didn't want to remember. But the memory came rushing back anyway, filling her vision...

_**Begin Flashback**_

_Courtney and Alison ran into the woods. _

_"Courtney! Why did you do that?" Alison cried, out of breath from running._

_"I was just trying to have fun! I didn't know this would happen!" Courtney snapped back. "Besides, _you_ were the one who told me the secret in the first place. Maybe if you didn't keep it from me for two years, and told me when you found out like a _normal _sister would, this never would have happened!" They stopped at the old wishing well in the woods, their favorite secret hiding place to go when they wanted to escape the world. _

"_I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know how to tell you. I was in shock myself for a really long time! It's not that big of a deal that I didn't tell you one little secret," Alison shot back. _

"Little _secret? Ali, our dad isn't really our dad! Mom cheated on him! We have two secret step-sisters! You call that a _little_ secret?" Courtney cried. "And you had to find out from Jason? Why would he tell you and not tell me?" Alison was quiet for a moment. _

"_Well?" Courtney demanded. _

"_He panicked, okay? He was drunk so he traded the secret for me not telling Mom and Dad he was drinking," Alison explained. "But you did was ten times worse than what I did. You just screamed out that Mom had an affair in the middle of the house, not caring Dad might hear you." _

"_I was shocked, okay? I wasn't sure how to react. But maybe if you had told me sooner this wouldn't have happened!"_

"_You destroyed our family!" _

"_I did not! You did! And if I was you, I would have told my twin sister this secret the day I learned it!"_

"_Yeah, right."_

"_I would make a much better Alison than you!"_

"_You're insane. You would not." _

"_Watch me."_

_Later on, going back to the house, they learned their parents had decided to keep this within the family and act like nothing ever happened, for fear their perfect little family reputation would be destroyed. But after that, the family was never the same. Mr. DiLaurentis stayed at work longer than he used to, making up excuses about big projects being discussed and paper work needing to be finished. Mrs. DiLaurentis worked harder to raise their family in social standing. Jason secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) drank more and started using drugs. _

_And Courtney began to act like Alison. _

_She would walk around the house, claiming, "I'm Alison and I'm Fabulous!" (Alison's signature phrase). She stole Alison's A-is-for-Ali ring and replaced it with her own C-is-for-Courtney ring. She snuck into her sister's room and read her diary and her texts. _

_And Alison got so fed up, she told her parents, and they sent her away to a mental hospital._

_**End Flashback**_

Courtney shook her head of the memory. If only Ali had told her sooner, this wouldn't be happening. She wouldn't have been sent off to mental hospitals, their family would still be perfect, and she wouldn't have killed Jason.

And maybe she and her sister would be best friends.

But that was all over now. Courtney struggled as she tried to escape her sister's grasp. Finally she managed to knee Alison in the stomach, giving her a path to escape. Courtney quickly stood up and stumbled away from Spencer and Alison, not caring which way she was going. She just had to get away. Stumbling through the darkness, her only light the beam of the full moon, she came upon the old wishing well. She stopped for a second to catch her breath, but soon heard footsteps coming her way.

Suddenly, Spencer grabbed her from behind and pinned her arms behind her back. Courtney struggled.

"Come on, _sis_. It's time to face the consequences!" Spencer hissed in her ear. Courtney made one final effort and elbowed her. Spencer's grip relaxed as she doubled over, the wind knocked out of her. Courtney ran in a random direction, footsteps fading behind her as she made random twists and turns to confuse her assailants. Finally, she stumbled out the back of the woods, collapsing on the grass. She knew she had lost them a long time ago, but she kept running to get distance between them. Hot tears stung her eyes and threatened to fall down her cheeks. Courtney wiped them away and stood up. Walking down a street, she saw a sign that said "Welcome to Centreville." Courtney continued walking past the sign and into the city.

After all that had happened, she knew she could never show her face in Rosewood again.

**A/N: **I don't know if there really is a town called Centreville in Pennsylvania. I just made it up haha. Please review! Next chapter is coming soon!

-LP99


	14. Chapter 13: A Life Lost, A Life Gained

**A/N: **Here's the final chapter! I hope you enjoyed it :) Thanks to all who read or reviewed my story! Look for a sequel coming soon (it might possibly be a crossover, but I'm not sure yet). So without further ado, here's the conclusion of _Pretty Little Secret Keeper_!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Chapter 13: A Life Lost, A Life Gained**

"_**For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it…" –Luke 9:24**_

Alison and Spencer walked back to their respective houses. As Alison prepared the enter her house, she made herself cry. When she walked into the kitchen, she found her family sitting around a table.

"Alison, honey, what's wrong?" Mrs. DiLaurentis asked her daughter. "And where's Courtney?" Alison sniffed.

"I-I don't know," she sobbed. "I saw her run out of the house, so I went after her, but I couldn't find her and so I went into the woods and… and… Mom, I found Jason. He's… dead!" A cry went up from her mother as she collapsed into Mr. DiLaurentis's arms. Alison collapsed onto a chair, sobbing into her hands. But on the inside, she was absolutely ecstatic.

She had gotten her life back.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The next day, the five girls got together for another sleepover. Even though these weren't Alison's cool, normal friends, she had to keep them around. If she dumped them, it would look suspicious.

"Ali, I'm so sorry Jason is dead," Emily said.

"Thanks, Em. I'm still kind of in shock… I've never seen a dead body before," Alison replied quietly.

"Well, you know if you need to talk to anyone, we're always here," Hanna supplied. Alison nodded. Everyone got quiet for a few moments. Up until this point, Aria hadn't said anything.

"Ali, Spencer? Something's been bothering me all day," Aria began. "Last night, when I was waiting by the curb for my mom to pick me up, I saw you two meet in Alison's back yard and then run into the woods. What were you guys doing?" Hanna and Emily looked at them, too.

Alison and Spencer looked at each other. They weren't about to tell.

Finally, Alison spoke up. "Um, I had asked Spencer to check the woods with me one more time and… well… you know the rest." Spencer nodded in agreement. Hanna and Emily seemed to accept this answer, but Aria was still slightly suspicious.

"Enough about Jason. I came here to get my mind _off_ of this whole issue. Let's have some fun!" Alison said happily. The girls settled into the couch to watch a marathon of their favorite shows. They painted each others' nails and did each others' hair. By the end of the night, everyone was happy as they fell asleep.

It was like nothing strange ever happened at all.

**A/N: **Epilogue is next. Review!

-LP99


	15. Epilogue

**A/N: **This is it! Hope you enjoyed it! Be sure to look for the sequel, coming soon!

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own _Pretty Little Liars_ or any of the characters. If you read it in the book, then it belongs to their author and creator Sara Shepard, Alloy Entertainment, and HarperTeen. I am not doing this for money, just for fun and practice. So please don't sue me.

**Claimer: **Lynn Hartland is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask.

**Epilogue**

"_**When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." –Matthew 10:23**_

Town after town passed by as Courtney DiLaurentis gained distance between herself and Rosewood, Pennsylvania. She had been through all of Pennsylvania and had made her way past Ohio and into Indiana. She had no specific destination in mind. All Courtney knew was that she could never go back to Rosewood.

When she had left the house, she luckily had about twenty dollars in her pocket, which she used to buy food and water when she needed it. She hadn't had time to go back to the house and grab an extra set of clothes and a brush before Spencer and Alison attacked her, which was about a week ago, so all she had were the clothes on her back. She figured people would look for her sooner or later, but until then, she had to survive on her own.

But what she didn't know was that the DiLaurentis family didn't put together a search party for her. They had decided it was too risky to ask people to help find their missing daughter, when Alison was supposed to be their only girl. They knew Courtney was a resourceful girl and could do well on her own. And they figured she would return home sooner or later.

But they were wrong. Courtney couldn't return home. Not anytime soon. So she continued from town to town, hoping she could stop somewhere to get a job and live on her own. But she was only thirteen. She needed a family to help her.

She was no longer the pampered princess of the family. Courtney DiLaurentis was now a wanderer.

**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed this story! Sequel coming soon! It might be a crossover, so you can just check my profile page every now and then. I hope to have the first chapter up possibly next week. Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, or added me to their alerts and favorites lists! Thanks!

-LP99


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